Grateful American: A Journey from Self to Service

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The man who played Lt. Dan in the beloved film Forrest Gump shares his journey from trouble-making Chicago kid to cofounder of the legendary Steppenwolf Theater Company, world-famous actor, and advocate for America's active duty defenders, veterans, and first responders.

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As compelling on the page as he is on stage and screen, Sinise shares moving details about the many veterans in his family and recounts his efforts as an actor getting the now renowned Steppenwolf Theatre Company off the ground in Chicago and rising to distinction in Hollywood. This humble and affecting chronicle of one artist’s selfless commitment to America’s defenders and first responders and to our ideals is a welcome antidote to a cynical and divided time.

Grateful American isn’t your typical navel-gazing celebrity dispatch. The plain-spoken, Midwest-grounded Sinise has always been about the work and not the fame ... He’s more interested in unifying messages, and if Grateful American has one it’s the recurring phrase 'I can do more.'

Sinise continually emphasizes his humility, next to actual military personnel, as someone famous 'merely for playing a part in a movie,' yet his self-effacing words belie the evident depth of his commitment to helping them, which marks this winningly earnest and unabashedly patriotic story.